Recent Advances in Sensing Technology

This Special Issue titled "Recent Advances in Sensing Technology" in the book series of "Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering" contains the extended version of the papers selected from those that were presented at the 3^rd International Conference on Sensing Technology (ICST 2008) which was held in November 30 to December 3, 2008 at National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. A total of 131 papers were presented at ICST 2008, of which 19 papers have been selected for this special issue.

This Special Issue has focussed on the recent advancements of the different aspects of sensing technology, i.e. information processing, adaptability, recalibration, data fusion, validation, high reliability and integration of novel and high performance sensors. The advancements are in the areas of magnetic, ultrasonic, vision and image sensing, wireless sensors and network, microfluidic, tactile, gyro, flow, surface acoustic wave, humidity, gas, MEMS thermal and ultra-wide band. While future interest in this field is ensured by the constant supply of emerging modalities, techniques and engineering solutions, many of the basic concepts and strategies have already matured and now offer opportunities to build upon.

1: Magnetic Sensors.- A GMR Needle Probe to Estimate Magnetic Fluid Weight Density Inside Large Tumors.- Evaluation of Surface Flaw by Magnetic Flux Leakage Testing Using Amorphous MI Sensor and Neural Network.- 2: Ultrasound/Ultrasonic Sensors.- A Scalable Ultrasonic-Based Localization System Using the Phase Accordance Method.- VHDL-AMS Modelling of Ultrasound Measurement System in Linear Domain.- Application of Laser-Ultrasound to Non-contact Temperature Sensing of Heated Materials.- 3: Vision/Image Sensors.- Vision Sensor with an Active Digital Fovea.- Development of a Real-Time Full-Field Range Imaging System.- Development of a Stereo Image Distribution System.- 4: Wireless Sensors and Network.- From Labs to Real Environments: The Dark Side of WSNs.- 5: Microfluidic Sensors.- Loading Analysis of a Remotely Interrogatable Passive Microvalve.- 6: Tactile Sensors.- Flexible Piezoelectric Tactile Sensors with Structural Electrodes Array.- 7: Gyro.- A New Method for Direct Gravity Estimation and Compensation in Gyro-Based and Gyro-Free INS Applications.- 8: Flow Sensors.- Model-Based Phasor Control of a Coriolis Mass Flow Meter (CMFM) for the Detection of Drift in Sensitivity and Zero Point.- 9: Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors.- Wireless Interrogation of a Micropump and Analysis of Corrugated Micro-diaphragms.- 10: Humidity Sensors.- Synthesis of Aligned ZnO Nanorods with Different Parameters and Their Effects on Humidity Sensing.- 11: Ultra-Wide Band Sensors.- Ultra-Wideband Radars for Through-Wall Imaging in Robotics.- 12: Gas Sensors.- Electrical and Gas Sensing Perfomanance of Coppergermanate.- Studies on Gas Sensing Performance of Pure and Nano- Ag Doped ZnO Thick Film Resistors.- 13: MEMS Thermal Sensors.- Micro Temperature Sensors and Their Applications to MEMS Thermal Sensors.